


engaged pause

by trixiechick



Series: Happy Household Club [11]
Category: Free!
Genre: Drawing, Future Fic, M/M, Talking, householdyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-07
Updated: 2013-11-07
Packaged: 2017-12-31 18:03:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trixiechick/pseuds/trixiechick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru and Rin hang out while Makoto meets with his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	engaged pause

**Author's Note:**

> another segment of the [Happy Household Club](http://archiveofourown.org/series/53603), yay!

Rin yawned, and stretched out a bit, readjusting himself.

"Hey," he got poked in the side. "Stop moving."

Scowling, Rin looked up at Haru, who had his sketchbook in his lap. "What's the matter with you?"

"Your ass looked cute, so I'm drawing you. Stop moving," Haru calmly informed him.

Rin frowned a bit, looking over his shoulder at his body. "My ass _always_ looks cute, why aren't you always drawing me? Hey, let me see..." he pushed up with his elbow, but Haru immediately pushed him back down. 

"What's so hard to understand about _stop moving?_ " Haru asked, irritated.

Rin stuck his tongue out at Haru.

At least Haru was naked. He looked around a bit, suddenly feeling anxious because he had to keep still. Makoto wasn't visible, but he could hear the soft hum of the vacuum in the other room. The bell for the washer rang, and the vacuum stopped and Makoto came through. He gave them both a _look_. "Are you two _still_ lazing about?" he sighed.

Before Rin could even get defensive, Haru replied, "I'm not being lazy. I'm drawing Rin."

"Oh." Makoto came over to look at Haru's sketchbook. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions. ...Nice." He continued on to the small utility room to move the laundry.

Rin smirked at Haru. "I can't believe that worked!"

"Of course it did," Haru said evenly. He was really focused on his drawing. 

Rin wanted to see it...! Makoto had now...

"How long do I have to just lay here?" Rin complained, wiggling a bit.

Haru scowled, which was cute. "Just go back to sleep," he sighed.

Makoto came back in with a basket of laundry, which he put next to the dresser. He went through and got the vacuum. For a moment, Rin thought he was going to vacuum the bedroom, but he just put it away. Then, he took off his t-shit. Perfect! He just went into the bathroom, though.

"He's too busy," Rin sighed. Makoto should be keeping him company!

Haru just nodded, but he kept drawing.

A minute later, Makoto came out, washed up and freshly shaved. Aw. Rin kind of liked it when Makoto had just a tiny bit of stubble... Even worse, he put on a nice shirt, and changed his pants! "What are you doing?" Rin asked, annoyed.

This was all counterproductive!

Makoto made a face at Rin. "I'm not surprised you forgot. I've got to go to my parents' house this afternoon."

"Oh, that's right," Rin _did_ remember, he just forgot it was _today_. "Ren and his cute fiancée making the official family announcement... over the tablet. How fun," he sighed, closing his eyes. "How's Ran going to take it?"

"She's... prepared," Makoto hedged. "Anyway, I'm not really worried about that. Ren is going to give us all the dates and everything, though, so..."

It was understood, they'd all have to keep their schedules cleared for Makoto's cute little brother. "What a bother. He's too young to be married."

"We got married at the same age," Haru replied tonelessly.

"It's not exactly the same, though, is it?" Rin rejoined.

" _No_ , it's not," Makoto sighed, sounding a lot more bitter than a Makoto normally would.

Haru and Rin shared a look.

Makoto came over to the bed, and kissed both of them. "I'll be back, then... probably not too late."

"Don't look so glum," Rin pouted at Makoto. "You're going to eat your mom's cooking. I'm going to be eating Haru's leftover shrimp tempura."

"Not with that attitude, you aren't," Haru grumbled.

Makoto ruffled Haru's hair affectionately, and smiled at Rin. "Right, right. I'll see if I can wrangle some leftovers for you. I'm off, then." He didn't look at all excited. Usually, Makoto enjoyed being with his family. But, Rin had an idea what he was thinking... 

He reached out and took Makoto's hand. "Hey. Don't let your mom marry you off, now," Rin teased him.

Makoto just gave him a _look_ and rolled his eyes. "I... will _try_ ," he promised, but again, his tone seemed rather dark. "Love you both," he smiled, sounding and looking like a shadow of his normal self.

"Love you, too," Rin promised, making a kissy face at him. Haru even looked up and touched Makoto's hand affectionately.

Makoto trudged off.

"This is hard for him, huh?" Rin mused.

"His mom keeps saying how _amazing_ it is that her youngest is getting married first," Haru said, glancing back toward the door.

Rin dug his chin into his hands, pondering. "Yeah... I mean, I don't think it's that weird at our age not to be married, anyway. Living together is another thing... Ren is getting married much too soon! Did he knock that girl up?"

"I don't think so," Haru frowned. "That wouldn't be a good reason to get married, though."

"No, but people do," Rin sighed, closing his eyes. "Why haven't Makoto's parent's just _figured it out?_ I mean... I've never told my mom _directly_ , but she pretty much knows."

Haru's pencil stopped. "Well... it's different for him, I guess. His family... is close. I haven't even talked to my father in years."

Rin used Haru's distraction to lean over and look at his picture. "You're not even drawing me now! You're drawing a shark! ...Am I about to make out with that shark?"

"Shark's don't have lips," Haru informed him, like Rin was some kind of idiot.

Rin stuck his tongue out at Haru, but he was too busy shading the shark to notice.

"That shark's not going to eat me, is he?" Rin asked, pouting a bit, even though Haru was meanly paying no attention to him.

"Of course not," Haru sighed. "Not in this picture."

"That's so comforting," Rin deadpanned. "Do you draw us a lot?"

Haru half shrugged. "Depends. I like drawing at the aquarium. It's very... peaceful."

Rin smiled at Haru, who was looking fairly peaceful in that moment. "You know what you should draw next?" He sat up a bit, feeling excited. "You should draw me _riding_ two mer-beasts... you as a merdolphin, and Mako-chan as a merorca."

Haru gave him a funny look. "I'm not letting you put a bit in my mouth. Or a harness on me."

"Well, ok, but Mako-orca would let me, and you would swim next to him," Rin reasoned.

"Of course I would," Haru grumbled. "Letting some damned human truss him up... that's just the kind of soft-hearted thing Mako-orca would do. Doesn't even realize he's supposed to be a _killer_ whale..." 

Rin suppressed his laugh. "You realize that... _you're_ human, right?"

Haru gave him a deeply offended look.

With a huff, Haru turned the page on his sketchbook. Rin made a mental note to steal a peak through that later. "Do you need me to stand majestically for inspiration?" He jumped up on the bed and struck a pose.

Haru barely glanced at him. He twirled his pencil around a bit. "You... want to be naked, I assume?"

"Well, sure. Do you think that would be weird?" Rin frowned.

Haru looked right at Rin's crotch. "Well, that depends. ...Maybe I can draw you as Aquaman? The denizens of the sea _like_ Aquaman..."

"Are you saying the denizens of the sea wouldn't like me?" Rin frowned.

"Well, no self-respecting merdolphin would let _you_ ride his back. But Aquaman might be ok..." 

"I'm starting to get jealous of Aquaman," Rin mused. "Ok, what does Aquaman look like?"

"He's got... green scaly pants and an orange top and blond hair," Haru replied. _Too_ quickly.

Rin narrowed his eyes. "Ok, you're not changing my hair color. ...How about you draw me with the green scales covering my pants area, but no stupid orange _top_ ," Rin suggested.

Haru considered that. "Ok, that'll work."

Haru wasn't watching him, so Rin sat back down, and watched Haru work. He probably could have been a mangaka or something, if he'd decided to do that. It was a bit irritating. There were so many things Haru _could have been_ if he'd just decided. Well, it wasn't like Rin was without talents...

He peeked at what Haru was drawing. He was starting with Makoto, and there was something kinda sexy about the way his torso bled into the tail of an orca. 

He was getting slightly turned on by a drawing of his lover as a merman.

Rin shook his head, and sighed. "You know, life is strange."

Haru gave him a slightly odd look, but he kept drawing. After a moment, he finally spoke up. Rin felt rather pleased with himself that he'd managed to wait long enough to let Haru feel comfortable. "If... If your dad... were still here... do you think he'd approve?"

Rin wasn't feeling too pleased with himself anymore. Haru _never_ asked him things like _this_. About his dad. Makoto did, sometimes. Rarely. When Rin felt like he had something to say, like on his father's death day. But Haru had never once asked him about his father. It was a shock more than anything. Rin took a moment to compose himself, but when he answered, he still couldn't avoid expressing his bitterness. "Well, not like I'll ever be able to know." He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "I mean, I didn't really get to know my dad at all, anyway. I was so young when he was gone, and he was gone all the time, anyway... Mom would tell us stories about him, but. For the longest time, I thought I could... but I realized that there really is no way for me to know him."

Haru was watching him, but Rin couldn't meet his gaze. "That's not true. Not entirely... I mean... you and Kou-chan... you each have half of his genome... Half of his DNA, each of you. So together... both of you, he's in you." Haru nodded softly.

Rin just stared at Haru in wonder, but Haru was intent on drawing. Rin started to smile. "He lives on in us? That's true. But then, his line will end with me. I'm not having any kids."

"Kou probably will, though, and anyway. You wanted to know what your dad was like. Well, you and Kou are a lot alike. You're both passionate, and fun, and generous. So. Your dad probably was, too."

Rin felt warmth spreading all over his body. He almost felt like giggling. Haru was being so...

"Oh, but your mother is also nice, so maybe you two just take after her," Haru pondered.

Rin burst out laughing, which startled Haru. Haru frowned at Rin, so Rin tried to tamp it down, but. That was super hilarious. "Thank you, Haru. That actually means a lot."

"I understand, you know," Haru said quietly.

"Oh?" Rin raised his eyebrow.

"My parents didn't raise me. My grandmother did. She was old... so I always knew, well. That. She would die... but I'd hoped..." Haru trailed off.

Rin could understand. She died before Haru became a man, before he really knew who he was. Before he'd fallen in love. Rin didn't know what to say, though. Makoto was better at saying things at times like these. Rin tried to think of what Makoto would say. "Your grandmother loved you. She would have loved you, no matter what."

"That's true of you and your dad, too," Haru said quietly. He looked at Rin from under his bangs. "And Makoto's parents love him. But. Maybe they won't understand. Maybe his mother will be upset that he won't get married and have a family. So."

Haru's words were really depressing, but he didn't _sound_ depressed. Rin watched him carefully, trying to gauge his mood. "So, do you think your grandmother would have be upset to know you have two male lovers?"

Haru paused in his drawing for a moment. "Well, she always liked Makoto," he said.

Rin huffed. Loudly.

"She would have liked you, too. She was always telling me to get into more trouble," Haru continued calmly. "But there's no way to know, right?"

That was the rub, right? There was no way to know. At least Makoto _would_ know, but. 

Maybe it wouldn't go well. If Makoto's parents didn't accept his choice... what would they do? Family was important to Makoto, but so were they, and they were getting a house.

It was going to be like their own wedding... which wouldn't mean anything to anyone but them, but.

Haru poked Rin in the forehead with his pencil. At least he used the eraser end. "Hey!" Rin complained.

"You were thinking too much," Haru stated.

"Sorry," Rin rubbed his forehead. "Do you think Mama and Papa Tachibana will accept us?"

Haru pressed his lips together. It was only then that Rin remembered that Haru spent a lot of time with the Tachibanas growing up, enough that they were basically his family, too. "I don't know," Haru said quietly. "I don't care. If they don't understand..." 

But he didn't finished the sentence.

Rin slipped in close to Haru, putting his arm around Haru's waist. He didn't want to disturb Haru's drawing, but he wanted to be close. He peeked at Haru's sketch.

"...Hey, my hair isn't that long!" Rin complained.

Haru paused for only a moment. "No, but it would look good like this."

"I'm not growing my hair out for you," Rin flatly stated.

"Stingy," Haru shook his head.

"It's _my_ hair!" Rin complained.

"Makoto would grow his hair out for me," Haru snippily replied.

"Yeah, but Makoto would look like a hippy with long hair," Rin pointed out.

Haru stopped and thought about it. "I'm going to draw it when I'm done with this."

"Why don't _you_ grow out _your_ hair?" Rin asked, amused.

"Because my hair is perfect," Haru replied, completely serious.

  


* * *

  


"I'm home," Makoto called out. 

Rin blearily replied, but he was half-asleep, so he didn't really use words.

Makoto came into the bedroom after going to the kitchen, and actually turned on the light. "Have you two been in bed _all_ day?" Makoto asked, sounding distressed.

"Haru's been drawing," Rin pointed out, hoping it would work again.

" _All_ day?" Makoto asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, I've been napping," Haru replied, cutely. Makoto smiled, brushing his fingers through Haru's hair. His smile looked tense.

"How was it?" Rin asked quietly.

"Mm. Well. I have all the dates," Makoto smiled at Rin. "They're getting married in nine months. After hearing that, my dad asked if they were planning to get married after Katsumi-chan gave birth, and things... sort of went downhill from there," Makoto shook his head.

"At least they're graduating first. Right?" Rin asked, trying to do the mental math.

"Well, _exactly_ , that's why they're waiting. They're getting married in Tokyo, though. That was a bit of a fight. From Ran, anyway. And then when we finished the call, mom had..." Makoto sighed. " _Apparently_ invited the daughter of her friend to... _join us_ for dinner."

"Oh, shit, a surprise omiai?" Rin laughed.

Makoto made a face. "From... her nervousness and manners... yes, I guess so. But Ran pitched a fit before dinner and insisted on sitting next to me, which... actually, was probably a good thing."

Rin made a note to thank Ran when he next saw her. Haru sat up a bit, watching Makoto.

"And then dinner was pretty awkward, until Ran pitched _another_ fit and took off. I almost tried to use that as an excuse to chase after her and leave, too, but..." Makoto trailed off. He looked away, pained. "Oh, but I did bring home leftovers."

"Oh?" Rin perked up.

"Buta no kakuni, and some pickled veggies," Makoto wiggled his eyebrows at Rin.

"Ooh, yummy!" Rin smiled. "So... you didn't get married, right?" 

Makoto rolled his eyes. "I walked her home... she... seemed really disappointed." Makoto looked pained.

Of course he did. He hated letting anyone down. Haru sat up and kissed Makoto's cheek, so Rin kissed the other one. Makoto smiled at them, looking more like his normal self.

"Well, too bad for her. 'Cause you're taken," Rin grinned.

Makoto looked both happy and pained. "...We really need to find land, though. I know, we've been through every listing so far and we don't have the money quite ready yet and the plans aren't finalized, but..." he sighed, looking down at his hands.

"You're getting anxious?" Rin asked, rubbing Makoto's shoulders. 

"I just feel like... I'll feel more secure once... once we can at least settle _where_ ," Makoto looked at them.

Haru moved closer and put his arms around Makoto's neck. "It's not your fault you didn't want to marry her," Haru murmured softly.

"It's not just that," Makoto slipped one arm around Haru's waist, putting his other hand on Rin's skin. "It's also... all this damned wedding talk. I don't know what it is, exactly, I just feel... like it's _our_ time," he looked right at Rin, and smiled sadly.

Rin moved closer, kissing Makoto's nose. "I know. And we're _going_ to find a place, and things are _going_ to work out. Right?" Rin winked at Makoto.

"Right. I just wish..." he laughed, self-consciously. "I just wish I wasn't _jealous_ of my own little brother. It's so ridiculous. I'm sure... he really loves Katsumi-chan. And I'm sure they're great together. I'm sure the ceremony is going to be _lovely_ and meaningful and the party afterward is going to be fun and we'll see relatives I haven't seen in ages and all of them will wonder when _I'm_ going to settle down when I actually _am_ settled, and as happily as I could ever hope to be, and..." Makoto took a deep breath, slumping his shoulders.

Haru and Rin shared a look, and then they edged closer, holding Makoto tighter.

Makoto put his head on Rin's shoulder, and smiled at Haru. "I'm... going to have to tell my parents. Eventually. Somehow, in my head, I've figured... I've got to do it before we move into our house."

Haru nodded, and smoothed down Makoto's hair. "How do you think... they'll react?"

"I don't know," Makoto closed his eyes, obviously hurting.

Haru wrapped his arms around Makoto and Rin, squeezing them both tightly. Rin squeezed Makoto and Haru back.

"Hey. Rin and I decided that he's going to grow his hair out," Haru said quietly.

"We did not decide that!" Rin laughed.

"I drew it and even Rin said it was hot and then Rin could wear a ponytail everyday," Haru happily sighed.

"Nothing's been decided," Rin shook his head, kissing the top of Makoto's.

"Can I see the drawing?" Makoto asked, hopeful.

Rin's heart sank. "It's still my hair!" he complained, holding onto Makoto as Haru got out the drawing of Rin as Aquaman, riding mer-Haru and mer-Makoto.

Makoto looked it over, dazed. "Wow. This is... quite the... but the hair does look good," he grinned up at Rin.

"Doesn't mean a thing, that's a drawing, this is real hair," Rin smirked.

"Mm," Makoto shifted a bit, turning the pages, looking at everything Haru drew. He stopped at the page with him dressed as a Sailor Senshi. He raised his eyebrows at Haru, who was fascinated by his fingernails, and then at Rin. "Well. _This_ is just a drawing, too... doesn't mean it might not happen in real life... if you know what I mean."

"Really?!" Rin got excited, and Haru sat up straight, looking at Makoto intensely. 

Makoto's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "Well, sure, but as long as we're dressing up, I'd like to see you in these... _pants_ , too."

Rin laughed. "Welllll. We _may_ be able to negotiate on these topics," he teased, slipping his hand up under Makoto's shirt to brush his fingers over Makoto's waist. " _If_ we can also talk... _appropriate undergarments_ for your Sailor outfit."

That made Haru grin, so Makoto had to laugh. "Ok, but what should we dress Haru up as?" Rin and Makoto looked at Haru critically.

"A dolphin?" Haru suggested meekly. 

"Uh... I'm not sure that has the sex appeal we're after," Makoto hedged. Rin just made a face.

"...I could be a water tribe warrior," Haru considered.

"That... sounds like a cop-out," Rin complained, but he was thinking about it.

So was Makoto. "We can... maybe work with it," he looked at Rin.

Rin was currently working on getting Makoto into an acceptable level of nudity. Once Haru realized, he started to help. Unbuttoning Makoto's pants, he leaned in and kissed Makoto. "Sorry your family dinner sucked," he said quietly.

"It's ok," Makoto smiled, stretching out so Rin could take his shirt off. "It's my own fault for being chicken, really. But.

"It's good to be home."

  


* * *

  



End file.
